Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A foodie's dream aboard Holland America Line

By Jenna Storey

Cruise ship dining in the past has been something that would
strike fear into most foodies' taste buds, conjuring up images of buffets and blandness.
I am happy to say this is no longer the case. Cruise lines have caught on: while they do have a captive audience, their passengers are always looking
for that something special, including drastically unique dining experiences.

Holland
America’s “An Evening at Le Cirque in the Pinnacle Grill” is a unique
opportunity to experience a taste of the famed Le Cirque restaurant while
aboard their fleet of 15 ships. During most sailings, the ships, Pinnacle Grill
is transformed into a Le Cirque-like atmosphere for at least one night. On that
evening, the menu, wine, table décor, and even the restaurant itself is morphed
to create the most authentic Le Cirque experience possible. While reservations
are required and there is a charge, we highly recommended it for the
famed Le Cirque crème brûlée alone. Your meal will be served on the iconic
orange Le Cirque china; you can expect to see all the legendary cuisine such as
Lobster Salas “Le Cirque”, Sweet Corn Soup, and Côte de Boeuf.

For the
hands-on foodies, you've got the opportunity to learn how to serve
up a Le Cirque-worthy meal at home with the demonstrations in the on-board Culinary
Arts Center. It's another excellent place to set your inner foodie loose. The
entire center is presented by Food & Wine Magazine, so the chefs, wine
experts, and cookbook authors are top notch. Kids & teens can get
involved with classes of their own while their parents are off at a cooking
class, wine tasting and mixology lesson, or even a party planning presentation.
This year, the classes and meals are sure to be of the utmost "carat" as Holland
America celebrates its diamond anniversary.